9781422270141

family. They may use their anger or pain from the treatment they receive at home and take it out on others. Their distress may be one of their main motivating factors for bullying their peers. Emotional factors come from the bully’s own insecure feelings and possibly from having been bullied in the past 7 . Among children, the prevalence of exhibiting bullying behavior toward others was six times higher among perpetrators that had been bullied before and eight times higher among adolescents 6 . Bullies also may not have the skills to understand other people’s emotions, their own emotions, or how to respond in a healthy manner in social situations 7 .

Peer factors such as conflict with a dominant social group can lead to bullying.

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Chapter 1: Bullying Today